"You are to never to call yourself Kozuki Oden again,"
Shiro said firmly.
"And you are not to use Kozuki Oden as your goal anymore."
His expression was serious, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.
"…That…"
The smile on Yamato's face vanished at once. Her small brows knit together tightly, and the light in her eyes dimmed.
She lowered her head, staring at her toes, fingers unconsciously tugging at the fabric of her kimono as she wrestled fiercely with her thoughts.
Time ticked by—slowly, painfully.
After a full five minutes, Yamato finally raised her head again. There was reluctance in her eyes, but she still bit her lip and spoke, clearly unwilling yet resolute.
"I… I agree."
Shiro saw her nod and gave a satisfied smile.
"Good. Then I'll take you aboard now."
"Captain!"
After taking just a few steps, Yamato suddenly stopped and looked up at him. Her eyes were filled with confusion—pure and untainted, the kind of innocence that made it hard to refuse her.
"Can you tell me… why I can't take Kozuki Oden as my goal?"
Shiro rubbed his chin again, falling silent in thought.
I can't exactly tell her that Kozuki Oden was a reckless fool who charged headfirst into death,
or she'd probably burst into tears on the spot…
After a moment of hurried mental gymnastics, he finally came up with a reason that sounded convincing enough.
"Well… let's put it this way," he said casually.
"Kozuki Oden once sailed with me aboard the Roger Pirates. Back then, we fought side by side."
"I see!"
Yamato's eyes immediately lit up. She looked at Shiro with even greater admiration now, her posture straightening instinctively.
"Captain Shiro, you're amazing!"
Seeing how easily she accepted that explanation, Shiro let out a quiet sigh and continued.
"Oden is already gone. Every time someone brings him up—or tries to imitate him—it reminds me of the past. And it makes me… very sad. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Captain!"
Yamato's eyes filled with tears in an instant, shimmering as she sniffed softly.
"You're truly a man of deep loyalty and feeling!"
Shiro's mouth twitched again.
This kid is way too easy to fool…
"Captain, can I ask you one more thing?"
Yamato suddenly looked up again, her hands clenched tightly together, eyes full of expectation.
"What is it?"
Shiro frowned slightly, unsure what was coming next.
Taking a deep breath, Yamato put on an extremely serious expression.
"Between you and Kozuki Oden… who is stronger?"
"Isn't that obvious?"
Shiro answered without hesitation, confidence flashing in his eyes.
"Oden was killed by Kaido. I killed Kaido.
So who do you think is stronger?"
"Oh! Right!"
Yamato slapped her small chest in realization, looking embarrassed.
"I'm so stupid—I didn't even think of that!"
Then her eyes hardened with resolve. She stared at Shiro with unshakable admiration.
"I've decided! From now on, Captain Shiro will replace Kozuki Oden as the person I admire the most!"
"…Uh."
Shiro felt oddly conflicted.
This kid changes allegiance way too fast…
And idolizing the man who killed your own father? That's probably a world-first.
When Shiro stepped onto the deck of the Virtue, Yamato's wrist lightly held in his hand, sunlight spilled across the stunned faces of the crew.
He placed a hand on Yamato's shoulder and spoke clearly for everyone to hear.
"Everyone, let me introduce her. This is Yamato—Kaido of the Beasts' daughter."
The deck fell into dead silence.
Hachi, who had been holding a cup of juice, froze—orange liquid dripping straight through his fingers.
Every pair of eyes locked onto Yamato, mouths forming identical "O" shapes.
No one could believe it.
The captain had brought Kaido's daughter aboard?!
"Captain… are you serious?"
Jinbe was the first to break the silence. He pushed through the crowd and leaned close to Shiro, his large hand cupped around his mouth as he whispered urgently.
"Bringing Kaido's daughter onto the ship is dangerous. What if she turns against us someday? Or draws the attention of the Marines—or other pirates?"
The unease in his voice echoed what everyone else was thinking.
Shiro gently pushed Jinbe's hand aside and turned to face the crew, his voice calm but firm.
"Everyone, don't hold this against her."
He paused deliberately, his gaze sweeping across the doubtful faces.
"Yamato truly hates Kaido's brutal rule. When we defeated the Beast Pirates and liberated Wano, she was genuinely grateful. She's wanted to sail with us for a long time."
Even so, the tension didn't fully fade.
Some crew members whispered among themselves. Others stared at Yamato with complicated expressions, clearly still unconvinced.
Then—
Yamato stepped forward boldly and slammed both fists against her chest, the sharp sound silencing the deck.
She lifted her chin, eyes burning with sincerity.
"My name is Yamato!"
"From today on, I'll be your most reliable crewmate!"
"My goal is to become a man as great and unshakable as Captain Shiro!"
"I'll be counting on all of you!"
With that, she bowed deeply—so deeply her head nearly touched her chest, like she was performing a solemn oath.
Some of the crew struggled not to laugh.
Her words were so serious, yet the faint redness at the tips of her ears betrayed her nervousness.
Still, the hesitation hadn't completely vanished.
The atmosphere remained tense—
Until a loud "Grrrrrrk!" echoed across the deck.
Every single person heard it.
Yamato's face instantly turned bright red. She scratched the back of her head awkwardly and rubbed her stomach, her voice dropping in embarrassment.
"Um… I haven't eaten anything all day… I really couldn't hold it anymore."
Shiro laughed and pointed toward the feast laid out on deck.
"Perfect timing, Yamato. We're having a banquet—come eat."
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